Stop-motion



E. U. AMES.

STOP MOTION.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 9, 1917.

Patented June 1, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 E. U. AMES.

. STOP MOTION. APPLLCATION FILED NOV- 9, 1.917.

' Patented June 1, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 E. U. AMES.

STOP MOTION. APPLlCATION FILED NOV. 9, 19H.

Patented June 1, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

v UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER U. AMES, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO H. BRINTON COMPANY, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNsYLvANrA, A CORPORATION 0P PENN- SYLVAN IA.

STOP-MOTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1920.

Application filed November 9, 1917. Serial No. 201,071.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER U. Aarns, a citizen of the United States, res ding 1n Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented a Stop-Motion, of which the followlng 1s a specification.

This invention relates to a form of stop motion particularly designed for apphcation to circular knitting machines and 1s especially intended to prevent breakage or other injury to the needles and sinkers or their associated parts when for any cause such as the breakage of a latch or butt, one of said needles fails to cast off its stitches.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stop motion of the type noted which shall be directly operated by engagement with a needle when this is sprung or bent out of its normal position for any reason, such for example as the accumulation upon it of a number of stitches due to its failure to cast off the same.

These objects and other advantageous ends I secure as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a front and a side elevation illustrating my lnvention as applied to .a well known form of knitting machine which is indicated in outline only; I

Fig. 3 is a plan of a portion of my invention, showing its relation to the latch ring, etc., of the machine to which it is applied; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively a plan partly in section and a vertical section, illustrating the operation of the invention.

In the preferred form of my invention I mount on the latch ring or other part of the machine structure which is fixed relatively to the rotary needle cylinder 3, a bracket 1 which projects from the side of said ring over said cylinder and has mounted on its inner end a downwardly extending bearing member 2. In said member is journaled a vertically extending spindle 4 to whose lower end is rigidly fixed a laterally projecting finger 5 in the form of a fiat plate having a pointed end which terminates immediately adjacent the circle defined by the needles 7,the arrangement of parts being such that while this finger normally just clears the ends of the needles, it is so positioned as to be engaged by any one of them which above the cylinder projects inside of a cylindrical surface including their inner edges.

The upper end of the spindle 4 has fixed to it a horizontally projecting arm 8 which, through a rod 9, is connected to operate upon the vertical arm 10 of a bell crank lever fulcrumed at 11 to a suitable portion of the frame of the knitting machine. The extremity of the second arm 12 of this lever is connected through a downwardly extending link 13 to one arm 14 of a tripping lever pivoted to the frame of the machine at 15 and having the lower edge of its second arm 16 provided with a notch for the reception of a trigger 17 governed by the arm 18 of a lever fixed to a spindle 19 carried in suitable horizontal bearings 20. A second arm 21 of this lever is at all times acted on by a spring 22 tending to swing it out of'engagement with the lever arm 16 and away from the pivot or fulcrum 15 thereof.

Fixed to the shaft or spindle 19 is a third arm 23 connected through a link 24 to one 'arm 25 of a toggle whose second arm 26 is connected to the belt shifter 27 of the knitting machine in such manner that when said toggle is broken, the driving belt engaged by said shifter is moved from the fast to the loose pulley. This toggle is controlled by a hand lever 28.

Under conditions of operation, if the butt or latch. of any needle should break or if for any other reason a needle should fail to cast 01f its stitches and permit these to accumulate as indicated at 00 in Fig. 5, its upper end would be bent inwardly and in less than one revolution of the cylinder would come into engagement with the finger 5. Such engagement would thereupon swing said finger through a small angle and correspondingly turn its spindle 4 until said needle finally cleared the finger, thereby also swinging the arm 8 and causing the rod 9. to move the lever arm 10.

The free end of the second lever arm 12 with the rod 13 is thus forced downwardly, swinging the lever 14-16 on its supporting pivot so as to raise its arm 16 out of engage ment with the trigger 17 onthe lever arm 18. As a result the latter is free to swing under the action of the spring 22 and the consequent movement'of the end of the arm 23 is transmitted through the link 24 to the toggle 25--26, causing it to break and automatically shifting the driving belt from the fast to the loose pulley.

The machine is thereby quickly stopped by any suitable braking mechanism forming no part of the present invention, so that the injury done is limited to the single needle which engages the finger 0 instead of resulting in the breakage of a number of needles and sinkers together with more or less serious injury to other parts of the machine.

I claim 1. The combination in a circular knitting machine of a needle cylinder; needles operative therein; and stop mechanism including a controlling member mounted to be engaged by any of said needles which projects inwardly from its normal position in said cylinder.

2. The combination in a circular knitting machine of a needle cylinder; needles operative therein; with stop mechanism consisting of a controlling finger mounted within the circle defined by the needles in position to be moved by any needle projecting within said circle, to cause operation of the stop mechanism.

3. The combination in a circular knitting machine of a rotary needle cylinder; needles operative therein; a member mounted within said cylinder in position to be engaged and moved by any needle projecting inwardly from its normal position; with means controlled by said member for stoppingthe machine.

4. The combination in a circular knitting machine of a needle cylinder; needles operative therein; a finger mounted to turn on an axis parallel to and to one side of the axis of the needle cylinder and normally projecting within and immediately adjacent the circle defined by the needles in position to be engagedand moved by any needle projecting within said circle; with mechanism actuated by movement of the finger for causing stoppage of the machine.

5. The combination in a circular knitting machine of a frame; a needle cylinder; needles operative in said cylinder; a spindle extending substantially parallel with the axis of the cylinder; a finger mounted on said spindle and, normally extending within the needle cylinder to a point immediately adjacent the circle defined by the needles in position to be engaged by any needle projecting inwardly from its normal position; with mechanism operatively connected to said spindle for stopping the machine when the finger is swung from itsnormal position by engagement with a needle.

6. The combination in a circular knitting machine of a needle cylinder; needles operative therein; a finger mounted within said cylinder and rotatable on an axis eccentric thereto, said finger normally extending in position to be engaged by any needle which projects inwardly from its normal position; with mechanism for causing stoppage of the knitting machine when said finger is displaced by engagement with a needle.

7. The combination in a circular knitting machine of a needle cylinder; needles operative therein; a finger mounted adjacent said cylinder and rotatable on an axis eccentric thereto, said finger normally extending in position to be engaged by any needle which projects inwardly from its normal position; with mechanism for causing stoppage of the" knitting machine when said finger is displaced by. engagement with a needle.

8. The combination in a knitting machine of a: frame; a needle cylinder rotatably mounted thereon; needles operative in said cylinder; a bracket on the frame formed to provide a vertical bearing; a spindle rotatably mounted in said bearing; a finger mounted on the lower end of said spindle and normally projecting within the circle defined by the needles in position to be engaged and moved by a needle projecting inside said circle; an arm connected to said spindle; and mechanism operatively connected to said armfor stopping the machine when it with the spindle is turned.

9. The combination in a circular knitting machine of a needle cylinder; needles operative therein; belt shifting mechanism; normally inoperative means for automatically operating said shifting mechanism; with mechanism for causing said means to become operative to shift the belt, the same including a member mounted to be engaged and actuated by any needle projecting inwardly ELMER U. AME S. 

